Venezuelans have been told to stop speculating over the health of President
Hugo Chavez as the nation waited on tenterhooks for official news of his
worsening condition.

New Year's Eve in the Latin American nation was marked as thousands attended church masses to pray for their charismatic leader and followed the cancellation of official celebratory events.

President Chavez has not been seen publicly in more than three weeks and Nicolas Maduro, his vice-president, on Sunday reported that he was suffering "complications" following cancer surgery on December 11 – the fourth operation in 18 months.

Twitter was awash with messages of support for the President but also abounded with rumours that he was already dead. Mocked up photographs of a deceased Mr Chavez in military fatigues lying in a coffin were circulated.

Jorge Arreaza, Venezuela's science minister and Mr Chavez's son-in-law, who is in Havana at the bedside of the ailing leader urged his countrymen not to "believe in ill-intentioned rumours" about the President's health.

Instead he reported over Twitter on Tuesday evening that "President Chavez spent the day quietly and stable, accompanied by his children."

Ernesto Villegas, minister of information, told the nation to be very careful about what to believe.

"Do not be influenced by what is spread on Twitter," he said. "You must not play with the health of Commander Chavez."

Spain's ABC newspaper, without citing its sources, claimed to have detailed knowledge of Mr Chavez's condition and that he was being treated in intensive care at a Havana clinic.

It reported that he was breathing with the aid of a ventilator having undergone a tracheotomy and that he was suffering from an infection that had so far failed to respond to antibiotics.

It also said that he had suffered kidney failure and that his prognosis was very poor.

It looks increasingly unlikely that President Chavez, 58 will recover in time for his inauguration on January 10 having won re-election and a third six-year term last October. If he does not, the constitution states that a new election must be held within 30 days.

Before his latest operation he named Mr Maduro as his successor. Mr Maduro has flown to Cuba and is among close family of President Chavez at his bedside.